Tuition increases could price students out of college - the Morning Call

Steve Hicks, English professor at Lock Haven University and president of the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties. The state has been steadily disinvesting in public higher education for some time, but the severe budget cuts that the governor has proposed two years in a row certainly look like a move toward privatizing public higher education. The 14 state-owned universities that make up the State System of Higher Education are the most affordable four-year college option in the state, but if the state eliminates funding for the system, tuition is likely to skyrocket. If tuition increases significantly, we will price students out of the opportunity to go to college. We're already starting to see this trend on our campuses. Due to the significant tuition increase last year — which was a direct result of the state budget cuts — some students were unable to afford to return to school. Our system has a state-mandated mission to provide a quality education at the most affordable cost to students. Without proper state funding, our universities will no longer remain affordable, denying the opportunity for many young people to get a college education.